Waste Management says a new study released Thursday shows PCB compounds are being well managed at the company’s toxic landfill near Kettleman City, meaning the landfill is not a significant threat to human health.

Waste Management says a new study released Thursday shows PCB
compounds are being well managed at the company's toxic landfill
near Kettleman City---meaning the landfill is not a significant
threat to human health.

Some people in that Central Valley town suspect PCBs are
responsible for a birth defect cluster there.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked Waste Management
to conduct the study in December of 2008. As Waste Management's
Brian Bowen explains, the company believes the findings should ease
doubts in Kettleman City.

"It seemed to support our belief that there is no offsite
migration of PCBs from the facility," says Bowen.

Bowen says the study suggests PCBs could not have spurred birth
defects four miles away in Kettleman City.

However the mothers of children born with defects have retained
lawyers in the case. Those lawyers have hired scientists who are
conducting their own investigations.

The study is also important to Waste Management's plans to
expand their landfill. Any expansion would require new permits
from the U.S. EPA.

The EPA did not return requests for comment on the study. The
agency did post a statement on its website.

"Based on the study findings PCBs… are not migrating off
site….," The statement reads in part. "EPA's position
remains that we will not issue a permit to CWM [Waste Management]
unless we are confident that the facility does not present a health
risk to the community."